Kam na bane ni mauri,
My name is Tekatau Tabwe Bio and I am the daughter of Dr Tabwe Bio and Baraoi Bio.
I am of Kiribati descent and identify my main islands in Kiribati as Marakei and Tarawa.
Kiribati is a small South Pacific country that straddles the equator. Here’s a bit of trivia for you – often mispronounced as “Kee-ree-bati”, the correct pronunciation is “Ki-ri-bas”.
My parents and I migrated to New Zealand in 1992, during which time my father was studying towards his Bachelor of Medicine at Otago University.
Fast forward 14 years later, we see the addition of 5 more siblings, moved schools and houses in 3 different cities and finally nestled ourselves in the quiet and quaint town of Te Kuiti.
Since moving to Hamilton in 2014 to pursue a career in law I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of many associations and groups.
We have a very friendly and engaging Kiribati Waikato Association Incorporated (KWAI) community group which has the task of being the first port of call for any incoming I-Kiribati people to the Waikato. I am an active member of KWAI and am very thankful for the support and ongoing engagements that KWAI holds for the I-Kiribati of Waikato.
During my time at the University of Waikato I was fortunate enough to be a part of a number of Student Association such as the President of the Pacific Law Students’ Association which had the task of providing academic and social opportunities for our Pacific law students.
I am also a translator and interpreter of the Kiribati language for Decypher, the only professional interpreting/translating agency in the Waikato. Through this position I have been able to give back to my Kiribati community by assisting them in situation where language is a barrier, something which I feel very humbled to do.
I like living in Hamilton because it’s quite a well sized city. It’s not so big that you can get lost in it but it’s not so small that you’d get bored of it. One of the best experiences I’ve had to date was attending the Pasifika by Nature event that occurred earlier this year. It was amazing to see the raw talent and the commitment of our students and the pride and passion they put into each cultural performance. I am proud that this event has continued to occur and hope that in the near future this will become an annual event.
Working at the Waikato Regional Council I also find that there are a lot of ideas and passion behind making Hamilton an environmentally better community. I applaud the work done behind the scenes and the way staff step up to expectations.
In the future it would be nice to see dedicated bus lanes which would hopefully lower the level of congestion that we see in Hamilton at this current point in time.
My long term goal is to secure a position as a criminal or immigration lawyer so I can use my legal skills to help our Waikato community.
Thank you for reading this and I leave you with a traditional Kiribati farewell…
Am bau te Mauri, te Raoi ao te Tabomoa which means May peace, health and prosperity be upon you.
